kepner



(No Model.)

F. W. KEPNBR.

Mill Faeding Device.

No. 241,995. Patented May 24, |881.

WITNESSES l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. KEPNEB, OF HOULTON, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND EBENEZEB O. BLAKE, OF SAME PLACE.

MILL-Fl-:EDlNG DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,995, dated May 24, 1881. Application filed February14, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. KEPNER, of Houlton, in the county of Aroostook and State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Mill-Feed, of which the following is at'ull, clear,

and exact description.

The object of my invention is to prevent choking of the millfeed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is Io a cross-sectional elevation of a mill provided with my improved mill-feed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same and its bridge. Fig. 3 is a detail cross-sectional elevation of the oscillating cup and its driver.

I5 Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

An elliptical or like collar, A, the upper edge of which is rounded, is mounted on the spindle B ot'a mill, within the eye of the upper zo stone, as indicated in Fig. 1,

A cup or disk, O, with a concave upper surface and an elliptical or like recess, corresponding in shape to the collar A in its lower surface, is loosely mounted on spindle B, and rests upon the collar A.

A tube, D, of metal, having a funnel, E, attached to its upper end, surrounds the spindle B, and is supported by and fastened to a bridge, F, provided with nuts G G, through which adjustiugscrew`s H H pass, which rest upon the curb or hoop of the mill. This bridge is provided with a central aperture, into which the funnel E passes, resting on the edges of the aperture. Two springs, J J, are attached to the under side of the bridge, and are also fastened tothe curb, and hold the bridge down, whereas the Vscrews H H have a tendency to raise it.

' The operation is as follows: This mill-feed is entirely independent of the hopper, and can be used with or without one. The grain passes down the funnel and the tube D and drops upon the cup C, and from this cup is thrown in between the stones, for the centrifugal force will cause this cup to rise and descend, and as the recess in the bottom of this cup and the upper face of the driver or collar A are both elliptical the elliptical recess of the cup will sometimes rest transversely on the elliptical driver or collar A, on the next moment they may be parallel, and then again diagonally, and so on. This causes a rolling, dipping, or oscillating movement of the cup C, resembling the movements of a ship at sea. The feed can thus never become choked, as these various movements ofthe cup C Will throw the grain off of the same. By means of one or both ofthe screws H the bridge F, and with it the funnel E and tube D, may be raised more or less, thus increasing the quantity of grain fed to the stones correspondingly.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination, with the spindle B, of the elliptical collar A, rounded on the upper edge, the funnel E, carrying tube D, and the top coneaved inverted cup C, the latter turning on collar around the spindle and within the eye ot' the upper stone, as described.

FRANK WILLIAM KEPNER.

Witnesses:

L. O. LUDWIG, JOHN H. BRADFORD. 

